Sounding device



W. A. vGARRATTI SUUNDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2s, 1919.

-complish by that certain constructioii Patented Nov.. 7, w22,

tenets renceO c M t i WALTER A. GARRATT, @F COVIHNGTON, KENTUCKY.

SUNDNG DEVICE.

Application filed November 26, 1919. Serial No. 340,833.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ll, WALTER A. GAnnA'rr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Covin yon, inthe countyE of Kenton and State of entucky, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Sounding Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to sounding devices for'automobiles, motor boats, or other mechanisms, being more particularly directed to sounding devices for mechanisms employing internal combustion engines.

llt is my object to provide a sounder or horn, which gives a novel tone, same to be preferably regulated by a simple adjustmeintl to change its pitch. Although my yhorn might be adapted to use with air or steam pressure, it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a sounding device which will operate by the suction or vacuum, resulting from the suck of the pistons in internal combustion engines.

So far as it am aware it has not been developed in the past that a sounder may be successfully employed in connection with the suction of, for example, a gasoline engine intake manifold, for the reason among other things, that the principles necessary in connection with the development of sound at will from a suction of the nature of the intake manifold suction have not been worked out or understood.

lin connection with the mode of development of the novel tone above referred to, it is my object to employ a part corresponding in appearance to the diaphragm of. an ordinary sounder, as a reed or generating mechanism for combined air and diaphragm vibrations, thereby producing sound in a novel manner. The sound features of in devices to be described, are adaptable from this point of view to a wide range of in-V strumentalities,such as organs, steam pianos, and wind instruments generally My various objects and advantages'. l acand arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

ln the drawings, y

Figure l is a perspective view of an internal combustion engine having my device attached thereto.

lFigure 2 is a central longitudinal section ofnniy device.

lFigure 3 is a plan view of the membrane or reed, in the nature of a diaphragm, that is used by me.

lFigure t is an enlarged longitudinal sectiol'i through the adjustable sound controlling mechanism of the sounding device shown in Figure 2.

lt should be understood that while one specific device has been selected by me as illustrating a mechanism by means of which the advantages of my invention may be gained, that l do not wish to limit myself to this one form, because of my failure to show and describe all or even a few of the variations therefrom which occur to me.

As shown in Figure l, the device selected for" illustration is employed with anpinter` nal combustion engine 1, having an intake manifold 2, to the engine cylinders. Motors of this character receive the fuel which is expanded or burnt internally, by means of suction set up by the pistons in the cylinder, as controlled by the valves of the engine,

this suction being coupled up to the carbureter 3 of the engine.

The sounder itself is made up of a trumpet or funnel shaped horn Il, suitably mounted in an annular front plate-ft, the

horn and annular plate comprising thev sound projecting portion of the device, the

particular shape or dimension thereof, being iii'ies'sential.

lt further comprises a back plate 5, which liasia centrally mounted, interiorly threaded boss 6, and said back plate and front plate are secured together by means of bolts Y.

lntermediate the two plates, is a thinresilient disk 8, preferably of sheet metal., which is pierced with holes 9 about its periphery to receive the bolts 7, and is clamped between the front and back plates, protected by means of suitable gaskets 10, 10,' on each side thereof.

Extending rearwardly from the back plate is some suitable and convenient form ofprotective shell, such as the shell 11, which fisalsov held in place by the boltsl 7;

rlhe disk 8 is provided at its center with a fairly large hole 12, around which is a ange or ring 13, which, preferentially, eX- tends beyond the plane surface of the disk. This :flange acts as the movable part of a valve seat in connection with the production Mtl o sound, andy also serves to some extent as a hammer in connection with the balance oit the valve, and the disk.

The valve has a threaded stem 1li, which is held in the boss 6, and secured adjustably therein by a nut 15. The stem carries on its end a tairly heavy metal plate 16, a small washer 17, and a thin copper washer 18, which 3o-operates directly with the flange on the disk. l have found that this washer or plate 18 may be omitted without entirely eliminating the advantageous teatures et sound reproduction, but for ideal operating conditions it should be present rlhe plate or valve head 16, the small spacing washer 17 and the thin copper plate 18 are held on 'the end of the stem in a permanent manner by means of a screw 19 threaded into the stem 14.

By adjusting the stem inthe boss, as above described, the tension of the contact of the copper plate with the central ange on the main disk can be regulated and hence the sound quality of the instrument.

The intake manifold of the internal combustion engine will be tapped into by a pipe 20, in which is any suitable Vvalve 21 which may be controlled from the drivers seat. The ipe will then extend through the shell and by suitable nipple 22, be connected to the suction pipe 23, that pierces the rear of the back plate ofthe sounder.

This pipe 23 must be of small diameter, in comparison 'to the space whichwill be opened through the sounding disk or valve plate, or the device cannot operate practi- 'cally from manifold intake suction.

The operation of the sounding device is ,'eieotuated by opening the valve 21, and permitting suction from the manifold Ato exhaust the air in the space behind the disk. This-suction' will lift the disk Acentral flange away'ffrom its seat, whereupon the suction willbei-reduced t0 such an extent, due to the comparative size of the suction inlet and the valve opening, that the central flange or valve member 13 vwill'fly back with great force against its seat (the copper washer).

The number and force of the vibrations will be"'controllcd by the tension exerted against the disk by the adjusted position of the valve stem or post 14, and, of course, by the natural resiliency of the disk itself. The nature of the vibration will also be materially affected by the resiliency or pliability of the copper washer, 18.

The leaving of too large an outlet 23 in the back space orvacum chamber of the soundertothe engine intake, would require a very large opening of the valve, in order to reduce the suction to a sulicient degree to permit of the necessary rapid oscillation of sald lvalve. The diameter of the eii'ective opening 1n the valve must be, necessarily, larger than the discharge tothe manifold reageer in order to insure the prompt release oit thel suction 1n the said chamber and to prevent the iange being lifted and held from its seat.

Should the openings both be of large size,-

even if the valve opening is larger than the outlet, the result would be that the suction in the manifold would be so reduced as to injuriously aect the intake of explosive mixture into the engine cylinders.

properly proportioning the Aparts therefore, it is readily possible to utilize maniiold'intake suction to operate a sounding device, particularly where this sounding device is in the nature of a valve, which I rises and' falls from its seat, in extremely rapid vibrations.

'llhe degree to which the disk or'membrane itself adds to the sound due to its own vibrations, has been difficult for me to determine. l am confident that the result of the hammering of the valve ring or Harige at the center of the disk on the valve head, or copper washer, does produce some sound 1n the disk, independent of the sound resulting from the rapid interruptions in the air current. My reason for this Vis that the sound produced by my sounding mechanism is different from the sound of any valved or reed instrument with which I am familiar.

The adjustments of the stem, will give a range of sound varying from a low sweet sound, to a high shrill whistle, and throughout the scale, there are not any evident pulsations due to the variability of the suction in the manifold. The restrlcted size of the outlet -from the vacuum chamber, is the reason for this, and this is a further feature in connection with the use of manifold in'- take suction for operating a sounder.

lOl

It should be noted that the sounding device described could be operated by pressure v as distinguished from suction, either directly or by an inversion of the valve. f

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with the intake mani-l fold of an internal combustion engine, comprising a chamber, a resiliently mounted valve in the chamber adapted to open `and close for production of sound, and connection from the said manifold to the said sounding Vdevice for operating the valve, said connection having a smaller passage therethrough than in the exposed area of the valve when open.

2. A sounding device comprising a chamber, a peripherally held disk' closing the chamber, said disk having an opening therein intermediate its edges and means against which the sides of said opening abut -when newness supplying suction thereto .for the purpose described, said inlet being ot small diameter in nomparison with the disk opening.

A sounding device comprising essentially a chamber at least one Wall ot which embodies a resilient disk, said disk having an opening therein intermediate its edges, a valve formed about said opening and a 'seat for said valve, and means for forming a partial vacuum in said chamber to unseat said valveo n l 4. A sounding device comprising essentially an airchamber, a resilient disk closing said air chamber, said disk having a central aperture, a valve formed around said aperture, a valve seat comprising a thin disk positioned to normally Contact with said valve, and means for varying the normal pressure of air in the 'air chamber to cause vibration of the valve on the seat, said means embodying an inlet into said air chamber of dierent size from the outlet.

5. A sounding device comprising a back plate, a disk held peripherally in position forming a chamber with said back plate, a stem adjustably held in the back plate, said disk having an aperture for the passage of said stem, a ring set around said aperture to serve as a va ve member, and means on the stem to normally abut the ring, for the purpose described.

6, A sounding device comprising essen- `tially a valve'having a resilient disk, said disk having an opening therein intermediate its edges, a valve formed about said opening and a seat for said valve, and means for causing passage of air through thespa'ce between the valve and its seat, said seat com# prising a ,resilient cop qer disk. 1

- WALT R A. GARRATT. 

